Consequences of the Dementors' Effects
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: What if Poppy had taken Harry with her to the hospital wing, after he fainted in the train at the beginning of his third year? And what if he became bored during the night, walked to the Astronomy tower and met a certain black dog? Completely AU!


**The Consequences of the Dementors' Effects**

"I'm fine," Harry insisted impatiently as Madam Pomfrey continued to wave her wand over him.

"I don't think so, Mr. Potter. You fainted on the train, and I can see that you're clearly not fine," the Mediwitch said sternly, turning to his Head of House. "Minerva, I will take Mr. Potter with me to the hospital wing. He'll at least have to stay overnight."

"Very well, Poppy." The Gryffindor lioness gave the Mediwitch an appreciative nod, completely ignoring her little lion's terrified expression.

"But I'm fine," Harry tried to protest in vain. He saw that Hermione threw him a sympathetic look as he felt himself being led out of the room and grudgingly followed the older witch towards the hospital wing. '_Having to spend the first night of the school year in the hospital wing is something that I'll probably never forget_,' he groaned inwardly. '_Malfoy and the other Slytherins will see to it_.'

"Mr. Potter, it's not the end of the world to stay a night in the hospital wing don't make yourself so upset," Madam Pomfrey scolded him lightly. "You will only aggravate your condition. My spell showed me that you're having a bad headache, and your temperature is much too low. I don't know why you're so susceptible to the effects of the Dementors, but I won't allow you to run around the school when you're clearly sick."

She handed Harry two potions, which he downed obediently, sighing in relief as he felt his headache subside. "My headache is gone now; may I leave?" he asked, throwing the Healer a pleading look.

"No, Mr. Potter," Pomfrey replied sternly, shaking her head in annoyance as she placed a tray with his dinner on the night table. "If I am pleased with your condition in the morning and only then, I'm going to release you in time for classes. Now eat your dinner please."

"No thank you," Harry countered, slightly shaking his head. "If I'm sick, I don't need to eat." With that, he closed his eyes, noticing that he didn't feel overly well and was extremely tired.

Before the Mediwitch could even begin trying to convince him otherwise, he was already asleep.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

By the time Harry woke up, the hospital was only dimly lit. '_It must be the middle of the night_,' he mused, looking up startled when he heard a small pop next to his bed. Behind a large steaming mug on his night table he could see a house-elf. It was slightly taller than Dobby and had longer ears.

"Hello Mr. Potter. I am Misty, Mistress Poppy's personal elf. Mistress Poppy instructed me to bring you a cup of cocoa. Please drink it up before you go back to sleep."

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully, noticing that he still wasn't feeling too well.

"How are you feeling?" the elf queried in a soft voice.

"All right," Harry lied, causing Misty to sigh.

"I don't think that you're well yet," she said thoughtfully, waving her hand over Harry, before she gently laid her hand on Harry's forehead, where it rested for a short while to let some of her Healing magic flow into Harry's body, causing him to relax significantly.

"Thank you," Harry said, sighing in relief as he felt his body warm up some.

"You're welcome, Mr. Potter. You might need to stay here for another day. You're not completely well yet. Now drink your cocoa and go back to sleep."

Harry obediently sipped his cocoa, realising that it felt good and warmed him up a bit. '_The elf must be nuts though. It's bad enough to have to spend the first night here, but the first day? No way am I going to stay here_.'

Due to the elf's Healing magic and the hot cocoa that was laced with potions and the elf's magic as well, Harry suddenly felt too hot. '_I'll go to the Astronomy tower for a while_,' he decided and slowly made his way out of the hospital wing. By the time he reached the Astronomy tower, he felt completely worn out, and he was shivering violently in his thin hospital pyjamas. He dragged himself up the remaining steps and sank onto the floor in exhaustion. Seconds later, he drifted off to sleep, only to wake up when something cold and wet touched his nose.

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When Harry lazily opened his eyes, he saw the large black dog that he had seen near the park in Little Whinging during the holidays stand in front of him. He observed in disbelief as the dog turned into a tall man, who sat down next to him. The man looked ragged and worn out, and Harry suddenly recognised him from the picture in the newspaper he had seen on the Knight Bus a few weeks earlier.

"Don't be afraid, Harry. I won't do you any harm, but I need your help," the man began to speak in a soft voice. "I am Sirius Black, your godfather."

"My godfather?" Harry repeated in disbelief, fiercely rubbing his forehead against the returning headache. "Everyone is looking for you because you escaped from Azkaban, right?"

Sirius let out a dry laugh. "Right, Harry. Now, you know your friend's rat. He is not a rat; he is an Animagus, and I need him to prove that I'm innocent. He committed all the murders I was put into Azkaban for. Please Harry, help me and get that rat for me."

Sirius and Harry spent the next few hours talking about Harry's parents and other topics, until Harry suddenly realised that it was beginning to get light. "Oh no, I have to return to the hospital wing quickly, before Madam Pomfrey misses me. I'll bring you the rat as soon as I can. Where will I find you?"

"Just come here during the night. I'll look out for you. I also need your wand to conjure a cage for him," Sirius replied and hurriedly transformed back, before the black dog accompanied Harry back to the hospital wing.

"I have no idea how your much too low temperature could turn into a moderate fever overnight, but I have to keep you here," Madam Pomfrey said sternly as she came to check on Harry ten minutes after he had returned to his bed.

"I don't know, but I must go and speak with Ron. It's very urgent," Harry said in an upset tone, but was efficiently shut up by the steam coming out of his ears as the Mediwitch spelled a Pepperup potion straight into his system. However, every time Pomfrey was within earshot, Harry repeated his request, and, noticing worriedly that his fever climbed up even more as he made himself so upset, the Mediwitch finally gave in and called the Gryffindor third year. "Madam Pomfrey, can you please stay here with us and conjure a cage for a rat?" Harry begged her, and the Healer agreed, fearing that he was becoming delirious.

Harry asked Ron to show him his rat and quickly pushed the small animal into the cage the Mediwitch had conjured earlier, before he explained the whole story to his best friend.

"When and where did you meet Mr. Black?" Pomfrey asked curiously.

Harry sighed. "Near my relatives' house during the summer holidays," he replied half truthfully. "May I please go and speak with Professor Dumbledore?"

"No. I'll call the Headmaster," Poppy replied in her no-nonsense voice and strode away, muttering to herself in annoyance.

The Headmaster patiently listened to Harry's story and accepted the caged rat. "I'll call the Aurors immediately. Do you know where I can find Mr. Black?"

"I'll bring him to you as soon as I can," Harry promised, only to add in a small voice, "Probably tonight."

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The next morning, Harry's and Madam Pomfrey's heated discussion about whether he would be allowed to leave the hospital wing or not was disturbed abruptly when Hermione and Ron stormed into the room, waving the front page of the Daily Prophet.

"Here, read the headline, Harry," Hermione breathed, tossing the paper at Harry.

'_**Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black cleared of all charges'**_

'_Ministry grants Black guardianship over Potter_'

**The End**

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I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


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